Few people are perfectly healthy — most people have allergies, need glasses, have eczema, or experience other minor health problems. Just as you're getting to know your child's personality, you'll also be getting to know more about her body and what she needs to be the healthiest person she can be.

Vision Issues

If your child stands very close to people or objects and puts his eyes close to them, or if he blinks, rubs his eyes, or seems surprised when you come over to him, it's possible that he has a vision problem. If he seems to notice everything, from an airplane in the sky to an ant crawling on the ground, then his vision is probably fine.

A lazy or crossed eye occurs when one eye muscle is weak or unable to focus in conjunction with the other eye. Both of these problems are usually correctable with exercises, and a doctor will notice them during a well-baby visit. Most lazy eyes are easily noticeable in the first year. Make sure your doctor checks your child's eyes during the visit.

It's difficult for a one-year-old to wear glasses, and many doctors won't prescribe them at this age because very young children might still be crawling and aren't able to keep the glasses on their heads. It's therefore very common for young children to not have the vision they will end up with — it takes a while for eye muscles to become strong.

If you notice vision problems in your baby, talk to your doctor. She will be able to test your baby with easy exercises, such as holding fingers up or moving pictures around her, and then suggest ways to help build the muscles and improve vision skills.

Ear Infections

Ear infections are one of the most common reasons parents bring their children to the doctor. This happens because the eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the throat, is not fully developed in one-year-olds. The eustachian tube is normally filled with air, but if a child experiences nasal congestion as a result of allergies or a cold, the underdeveloped tube can easily become blocked and filled with fluid. Germs multiply in the fluid and cause a middle-ear infection. If your child cries, pulls on her ear, or has a fever, call your doctor. Your child may be trying to communicate to you that there is pain in her ear.

If wax is a problem — if your child's hearing is affected or if his ear just looks dirty — bring him to the doctor rather than trying to go into the ear canal or doing any rinsing or deep cleaning yourself. If you clean inside the ear (with a cotton swab, for example), there is a good chance you will cause more of a problem by pushing the wax and any germs further into the ear canal. The doctor will be able to help clean it safely if necessary.

Febrile Convulsions

If your one-year-old has a viral infection with a fever, you need not fear the fever even if your family has a history of febrile convulsions, which is a shaking or stiffening of the body. Febrile (fever) convulsions (shaking) seem to be caused by a lower seizure threshold, which runs in families and which children outgrow by five years of age. These types of seizures scare people and need to be evaluated by a physician but do not cause any permanent damage. The first time your child has a febrile seizure you should take him to the emergency room so that a doctor can confirm that that is all it is and that it is not a symptom of epilepsy or a serious neurological disorder. The doctor will evaluate the symptoms and order tests to confirm that the seizure was only caused by the fever. If your child gets febrile seizures you can prevent them by careful management of the fever.

If your child has febrile convulsions, sponge her with warm to lukewarm — but never cold — water. Anything too cold will shock her body. Also, don't leave her alone or try to restrain her to stop the convulsions. Give her plenty of space and, if you can, place her on her side so that she won't choke if she vomits. Call 911 if the convulsions last more than a few minutes. These can be very scary, but be assured that most children grow out of their febrile convulsions by the time they turn five.

Colds

When they are young, children are constantly exposed to germs and viruses that their immune systems haven't yet learned how to fight off. Vomiting or a low-grade fever is not necessarily a sign of illness. Your child's ability to fight off germs with low fevers means his healthy immune system will be stronger as he gets older. Your child is truly sick when the way he feels changes the way he acts or behaves.

A cold is a virus transmitted from person to person, and there are hundreds of viruses going around at any given time. Your child's immunity to certain bugs hasn't yet been built up, so he's susceptible to a variety of colds. It's not a bad thing for a child to get a cold because over time it builds immunity to other viruses. The problem is dealing with the symptoms of a cold.

A one-year-old with a cold can be very uncomfortable and unhappy. In fact, some of his symptoms will be more behavioral than physical, such as irritability and lethargy. At the same time, with a cold, your child may still be running around and not letting himself rest.

Cold remedies are often not only unnecessary, they also don't work as they are supposed to. In fact, most cold medicines hardly do anything at all. Pseudoephedrine, for example, a common ingredient in cold medicines, can make some children hyperactive rather than relaxing them. Because a cold is a virus and is not caused by bacteria, it cannot be fought with antibiotics. You can comfort your child, but medicine will not reduce the problem. You are better off soothing the symptoms rather than trying to eliminate them.

If your baby is having trouble breathing because her nose is stuffed up, try using a nasal saline spray. You could also try bringing your child into a moist room, such as a bathroom with a hot shower running, so that she can breathe the steamy air, or into a room with a humidifier running. If she's feverish, you can give her a child's dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Some doctors recommend giving one dose of acetaminophen, then alternating with ibuprofen over the course of a day to best reduce a fever, but be sure to consult your doctor before administering any medicine to your child.

Don't force your child to eat if she's not feeling well, but try to encourage her to drink water and rest. A rested body is a body that can best heal itself. Drinking enough fluids is also important because a feverish body can become dehydrated.

If you can, sit with your child while she is sick and play quietly. Read books and listen to music. But don't be afraid to take her outside and let the sun warm her. Fresh air and sunshine can only help the body repair itself and fight off a virus.

Fevers

A fever is a sign that the body is fighting an infection, so it's not unusual for children to get fevers often as their immune systems build up strength. Although low-grade fevers are common and not dangerous, you should call a pediatrician or nurse immediately if your child has a fever higher than 102°F or if it lasts more than one day. If he has other symptoms along with the fever, such as coughing, vomiting, or diarrhea, call the pediatrician's office and give a complete description of your child's behavior so the pediatrician can determine whether your child should be seen.

Don't try to reduce low-grade fevers, as fevers are a sign that the white blood cells are at work to produce antibodies that fight germs and bugs. Instead, help your baby feel more comfortable by helping her to rest. Keep her very comfortably dressed and covered while she's sleeping. If she is irritable, or the fever is making her unable to sleep, consider a fever reducer, but only enough so that she rests comfortably. Consult your doctor before using anything to reduce fever.